Garment with integral storage pocket

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an improvement in garments, in particular to an improvement in knitted garments ( 10 ) comprising an integral pocket ( 11 ) in which the garment can be retained. The invention comprises a garment knitted from superfine or micro-fibres, such that the fabric of said garment is elastic. The garment comprises an integral pocket, said pocket having a perimeter, wherein a first section of the pocket perimeter is attached to the garment and a second section ( 13 ) of the pocket perimeter forms a mouth of the pocket. The pocket configuration is such that the length of the pocket mouth is less than the maximum length of the pocket, and the pocket is stretchable to enable it to envelop the garment and retain it within the pocket in a compact package.

The invention relates to an improvement in garments, in particular to an improvement in knitted garments comprising an integral pocket in which the garment can be retained.

There are many circumstances in which it would be convenient to carry an additional item of warm clothing, such as a sweater or cardigan, in case the weather turns cooler. More particularly it would be convenient to have such a garment which can be neatly carried in a bag, such as a handbag, rucksack, golf-bag or the like, in case it is required, for example at a cocktail or garden party, on an aeroplane or on a golf course.

It is well known for waterproof cagoules, such as those sold under the brands Pacamac™ and K-Way™, to incorporate a bag into which the cagoule can be folded away when not in use. The bag can be provided in the form of a zippered or poppered pocket in the front of the cagoule.

However, the designs employed for such waterproof garments are not suitable for fine knitwear. In particular the addition of zips or poppers (press-studs) are not preferred for fine knitted garments. Moreover, the resulting packages were not small due to the nature of the fabrics used.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fine knitted garment having an integral pocket in which the garment can be retained to provide a small neat package.

The invention therefore provides a garment knitted from superfine or micro-fibres, such that the fabric of said garment is elastic, comprising an integral pocket, said pocket having a perimeter, wherein a first section of the pocket perimeter is attached to the garment and a second section of the pocket perimeter forms a mouth of the pocket, the pocket configuration being such that the length of the pocket mouth is less than the maximum length of the pocket, and the pocket is stretchable to enable it to envelop the garment and retain it within the pocket in a compact package.

As the garment is knitted from superfine or micro-fibres, it can be folded into a relatively small area which makes this invention particularly suitable for more formal garments which a person may wish to have conveniently to hand, in a coat or jacket pocket, handbag, briefcase or other bag but not necessarily wear. The shaping of the pocket, in conjunction with the stretchiness of the garment which results from the knitting process, means that it is retained in the pocket without the need for zips or poppers or buttons, which the Pacamac™ and K-Way™ waterproofs needed. This is advantageous for a number of reasons. For example, zips, poppers and buttons can get caught in the hair when the wearer puts the garment on, or they can catch on jewellery or another item of clothing or rub against the skin. Eliminating the need for zips, poppers and buttons is also advantageous in that the machine washability of the garment is enhanced.

The pocket is preferably located on the inside of the garment.

If the pocket is located on the outside of the garment, it can be used to provide a contrasting design element. However, unlike the Pacamac™ and K-Way™ waterproofs, the garments of the present invention are particularly suitable for wear in a formal, as well as a casual, environment as locating the pocket on the inside means that it is discrete and inconspicuous when the garment is worn.

Preferably the pocket is attached to the back of the garment and more preferably the pocket is located such that the first section is attached to the garment so that the pocket covers at least a part of the shoulder/back area.

Where the pocket is located in the upper back/shoulder area it also has the further advantage that it provides additional warmth to the wearer. The cold is often felt on one's back and shoulders, especially for men who tend to have more body hair on their arms, chests and stomachs.

In another embodiment of the invention the pocket is located such that the first section is attached along a part of the bottom edge of the garment.

The fibres may be natural fibres, such as wool or cashmere, synthetic or man-made fibres or microfibres, or a mixture of different fibres and/or microfibres.

The use of wool fibres provides the additional advantage that they are resilient and springy and more resistant to creasing. This is particularly important if the garment is to be worn in a formal environment or the wearer does not want to look crumpled. The Pacamac™ and K-Way™ waterproofs have a creased or crumpled appearance when removed from their bags.

The fibres preferably have a maximum width of 19.5 microns.

Preferably the pocket has four edges, the first section comprising three adjoining edges.

A preferred shape of the pocket is a trapezoid, the first section comprising three adjoining edges. The edges maybe straight or curved.

Alternatively the pocket may be oval or ellipsoidal in shape.

The pocket may be located in a collar of a polo neck garment.

In another embodiment of the invention, the pocket has a front and a back, and a single piece of fabric forms the front of the pocket and is attached to the garment so that part of the garment forms the back of the pocket.

In a further embodiment the pocket has a front and a back and is attached to the garment by at least a part of the first section of the pocket perimeter.

The invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:—

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a knitted garment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inside of the back of the garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar view to that FIG. 2, but with the garment partially folded;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the garment of FIG. 1 fully folded;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the garment of FIG. 1 folded into a pocket;

FIG. 6 is a pictorial representation of an alternative embodiment of a garment according to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an alternative pocket shape for use in a garment according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a garment 10 according to the present invention. The garment 10 is made from superfine or micro-fibres. These may be natural fibres, preferably wool or cashmere, synthetic or man-made fibres or microfibres, or a mixture of different types of fibres. The fibres preferably having a diameter of less than 19.5 microns. The garment 10 is knitted, which means that it is relatively elastic. As it is made from superfine fibres, it can be knitted from very fine yarn and is therefore lightweight and can be folded down to a small compact size.

Attached to the garment 10 is a pocket 11, preferably made from the same material as the garment 10. The perimeter of the pocket 11 has a first section, which is attached to the garment 10, and a second section 13 which forms the mouth of the pocket. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pocket 11 has four straight edges. These comprise a long edge, which forms the base of the pocket 11, and an opposing shorter edge (the second section) 13, which forms the mouth of the pocket 11. The pocket 11 preferably has a trapezoidal configuration. The edges of the pocket may be straight or curving outwards from the centre of the pocket 11. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the pocket 11 is attached to the garment 10 by the long and side edges leaving the opposing short edge 13 free.

An alternative embodiment of the pocket 11 is illustrated in FIG. 7, which is of oval or ellipsoid shape. The first section 13 must be narrower than the maximum length of the pocket P_(L). Preferably the mouth 13 should be approximately 65% of the length P_(L).

The pocket may be located on the outside of the garment 10, but it is more preferably located on the inside, to make it most inconspicuous.

The pocket 11 is most conveniently located so that at least a part of the first section (in FIG. 1 this is the long edge) is attached along the top (neck) or bottom (hem) of the garment which makes it easier to fold the garment into the pocket than if it was located elsewhere. More preferably it is located in the upper back/shoulder area on the inside of the garment 10, as mentioned above so as to provide extra warmth and comfort to the wearer.

When the garment 10 is not being worn, it is folded as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. Firstly, if the pocket 11 is located on the inside of the garment 10, the garment 10 is turned inside out. Secondly, the outer edges of the body of the garment 10 (and sleeves if there are any) are folded inwards so that the folded width G_(w) of the garment 10 is no greater than the maximum length P_(L) of the pocket 11. The bottom or hem of the garment 10 is then folded towards the neck to give a stack 12 of folded layers (see FIG. 4) which has approximately the same length GL as the pocket depth PD. The first section 13 of the pocket 11 can then be lifted and folded over the front of the stack 12 as shown by the arrow X. As the material of the pocket 11/garment 10 is elastic, the pocket 11 stretches to envelop the stack 12 of folded layers and hold them firmly together in a compact package 14.

In its stowed form, the pocket 11 protects the garment 10 and stops it from getting dirty or crumpled. It can be carried, in, say, a briefcase, handbag, bag or even a pocket, until required.

The invention is suitable for use with a number different types of knitted garment, such as a waistcoat, tank tops, pullovers, jumpers, cardigans and so on.

The size of the pocket 11, and of the package 14, will depend on the type of fibres used, the size and the construction of the garment 10, e.g. whether it has arms, a roll neck, a belt etc. However a convenient size for the dimensions of the package 14 once the garment has been folded would be having a length in the range of 200 to 250 millimetres, a height in the range of 100 to 150 millimetres and a width of 45 to 60 millimetres.

Although the pocket 11 is ideally located in the back/shoulder of the garment 10 to provide additional warmth, it can be located elsewhere. In a further embodiment of the invention, the pocket 11 can be located inside the neck of a polo necked garment 10.

The pocket 11 may be created (as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) by sewing/knitting a single piece of fabric into the garment 10. Thus part of the garment 10 (preferably the back of it) forms the back of the pocket 11 and the sewn/knitted piece fabric forms the format of the pocket 11. This reduces the quantity of fabric necessary, rendering the garments 10 even lighter and smaller and also makes manufacture of the garment 10 simpler and cheaper.

The pocket 11 may also have an independent front and back (pouch-style) which attached by a first section of the pocket perimeter to the garment 10, as shown in FIG. 6. In this case the pocket 11 is inconspicuous when worn, as it can be tucked inside the neck of the garment 10 providing extra warmth to the wearer around the shoulders.

As an alternative, the garment 10 may be rolled into the pocket 11 instead of being folded. 

1. A garment knitted from superfine or micro-fibres, such that the fabric of said garment is elastic, comprising an integral pocket, said pocket having a perimeter, wherein a first section of the pocket perimeter is attached to the garment and a second section of the pocket perimeter forms a mouth of the pocket, the pocket configuration being such that the length of the pocket mouth is less than the maximum length of the pocket, and the pocket is stretchable to enable it to envelop the garment and retain it within the pocket in a compact package.
 2. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket is located on the inside of the garment.
 3. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket is attached to the back of the garment.
 4. A garment as claimed in claim 3 in which the pocket is located such that the first section is attached to the garment so that the pocket covers at least a part of the shoulder/back area.
 5. A garment as claimed in claim 3 in which the pocket is located such that the first section is attached along a part of the bottom edge of the garment.
 6. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the fibres are natural fibres.
 7. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the fibres are synthetic or man-made.
 8. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the fibres are a mixture of different types of fibres and/or microfibres.
 9. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the fibres have a maximum width of 19.5 microns.
 10. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket has four edges, the first section comprising three adjoining edges.
 11. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket is a trapezoid.
 12. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket is an ellipsoid or oval.
 13. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket is located in a collar of a polo neck garment.
 14. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket has a front and a back, and a single piece of fabric forms the front of the pocket and is attached to the garment so that part of the garment forms the back of the pocket.
 15. A garment as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket has a front and a back and is attached to the garment by at least a part of the first section of the pocket perimeter.
 16. (canceled) 